Video: The mysterious and tragic fate of Rembrandt's "Danae": a detective-melodramatic story
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
The most famous painting by Rembrandt - "Danae" - from the moment of its creation to the present day, it has fallen into such stories that its preservation can be considered a miracle. The external appearance of the woman captured on the canvas has undergone changes so many times that it is now impossible to restore its original version. How did the artist manage to portray his wife and mistress at the same time, and who and why tried to destroy the painting in the twentieth century? - read the answers to these questions below.
Originally "Danae" was a hymn to mutual love - in this image Rembrandt wrote his young wife - Saskia. This girl became a muse for the artist for many years. Rembrandt created Danae in 1636, 2 years after his wedding with Saskia. But family happiness was very short-lived.
The woman's poor health did not allow her to give birth to healthy children - they died in infancy. Only one son, Titus, was lucky to survive, but it cost his mother her life - in 1642 Saskia died. The maid Gertier Dirks became Titus's nurse, and soon Rembrandt's mistress.
Quarrels often flared up between lovers - Gertier was jealous of Rembrandt for Saskia even after her death, her features were too clearly visible on all canvases. The biggest irritation in Gertier was caused by "Danae", on which Saskia seemed to come to life. The woman demanded to change her appearance, endowing her with features. And the artist followed her lead - he rewrote the picture, giving a portrait resemblance to his mistress.
Modern radiographic analysis confirmed the changes in 1646-47. in the central part of the picture and in the facial features - Danae really combined the features of his wife and mistress at the same time. The annoying Gertier did not calm down on this - she demanded that the artist change the pose of the lying woman and the outlines of her figure. Then Rembrandt took the painting to the pantry so that Gertier would leave her nagging behind. But the misadventures of "Danae" did not stop there.
In 1656 "Danae" was sold, among other paintings, for Rembrandt's debts. She passed from one owner to another, until she replenished the collection of Pierre Crozat, which was later bought by Catherine II. This is how Danae ended up in the Hermitage.
On June 15, 1985, an emergency occurred in the Hermitage: in broad daylight, one of the visitors slashed the painting of Danae twice with a knife, and then doused it with sulfuric acid. The vandal turned out to be 48-year-old Lithuanian unemployed Bronius Maigis. They say that before that he shouted "Freedom for Lithuania!", Although the Lithuanians deny this fact. The offender was found insane and released from criminal liability.
They rushed to save the masterpiece instantly, washing the canvas with water. The central part of the painting suffered the most: the acid burned deep grooves in the painting layer, which filled the dark colors that flowed down from the top of the painting. But by evening, the chemical reaction was stopped. As a result, about 30% of the author's letter was irretrievably lost.
The restoration of "Danae" lasted 12 long years. Since there was a lot of work to be done, and it inevitably led to changes in the original version, many suggested leaving everything as it is - they say, otherwise nothing will remain of Rembrandt at all. But the restorers continued their work. They managed to strengthen the paint layer and the primer, restore the varnish, and remove the incrustations.
In 1997, the masterpiece returned to the Hermitage, this time under armored glass. Although the restorers managed to restore the painting, many art connoisseurs say: "Danae" is dead. She no longer has the feelings of an artist. " Bronius Maigis never regretted his deed. He once said: “I do not feel any regret that I destroyed a masterpiece of world significance. It means that it was poorly guarded and looked after, if I managed to do it so comparatively easily”.
Many mysteries are hidden not only in Rembrandt's Danae: 6 fascinating secrets hidden in the works of art of the great masters of the pastare no less interesting.
Recommended:
The tragic fate of Alexander Godunov: the scandalous escape from the USSR and the mysterious death of the famous dancer
23 years ago, on May 18, 1995, the ballet dancer and film actor Alexander Godunov passed away. In August 1979, a scandal erupted: during a tour, a dancer of the Bolshoi Theater asked for political asylum in the United States. He stayed abroad, while his wife returned to the USSR. The ballet dancer tried to realize himself in the profession, but did not achieve such success as at home. At the age of 45, Alexander Godunov passed away under mysterious circumstances that still raise a lot of questions
Because of what a detective story unfolded around Rembrandt's painting "Saul and David", thanks to which justice won
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is a special, unique phenomenon in the history of painting, and there is nothing surprising in the fact that thousands of paintings have been claiming the right to be considered part of his heritage for two centuries. Among them was this extraordinary picture. She became a defendant in this investigation, thanks to which justice was done
How detective story writers played with readers, and why it's so hard not to love detective stories
Anyone who calls the Conandoyle stories about Sherlock Holmes the first detectives in history will be mistaken for several thousand years. No, the authors offered readers riddles with the search for the unknown already in antiquity - apparently, the beginning of the detective story can be counted from the moment people learned to read
The short life and the mysterious departure of the top model: the tragic fate of Ruslana Korshunova
On July 2, the world famous Russian fashion model Ruslana Korshunova could have turned 30, but 9 years ago she passed away under mysterious circumstances. For several years she became a top model and conquered European and American catwalks, and then, 4 days before her 21st birthday, according to the official version, she committed suicide. However, friends and family of the model refuse to believe that the investigation into the causes and circumstances of her death was impartial
Angel of Sorrow: The Tragic Story of a Mysterious Monument Not Included in Tourist Brochures
Tourists who come to Rome first of all go to see the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums, the Roman Forum and the Capitoline Hill … The list of the most famous sights goes on for a long time. However, there are places in the Italian capital that are definitely worth a visit, although they are almost never mentioned in advertising brochures. One of these sights is the "Angel of Sorrow" sculpture installed in the Protestant cemetery